Cichlasoma dimerus responds to refeeding with a partial compensatory growth associated with an increment of the feed conversion efficiency and a rapid recovery of GH/IGFs axis

SIMÓ, I.; ARRANZ, S.E.; SIMÓ, I.; ARRANZ, S.E.; PÉREZ SIRKIN, D.I.; VISSIO, P.G.; PÉREZ SIRKIN, D.I.; VISSIO, P.G.; DELGADIN, T.H.; DI YORIO, M.P.; DELGADIN, T.H.; DI YORIO, M.P.

AQUACULTURE NUTRITION

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2018 vol. 24 p. 1234 - 1243

1353-5773

Many fish species display compensatory growth (CG), a phenomenon by which fastedfish growth faster during refeeding. However, most studies use a group housed fishapproach that could be problematic in social fish when interaction between individualsis not considered or eliminated. Additionally, the growth hormone (GH)/insulin-likegrowth factors (IGF-1 and IGF-2) axis is implicated in postnatal growth in vertebrates,but its relevance in CG is not fully understood. Thus, the aim of this work was todetermine if CG occurs in a social fish, C. dimerus, using an individually held fishapproach and secondly, to evaluate the GH/IGFs expression profile during refeeding bythree days and three weeks. C. dimerus showed partial CG. The feed conversionefficiency (FCE) was higher in three days refed fish, which presented higher GH plasmaand mRNA levels than controls but shown no differences in liver and muscle GHreceptors (GHR1 and GHR2) and IGFs mRNA levels. Surprisingly, three week refed fishexhibited GHR1 and IGF-2 increments, but a reduction in GHR2 expression in muscle.These results show a strong association between GH levels, growth rate and FCEduring refeeding, and a long lasting effect of refeeding on muscular expression of GHRsand IGF-2.